Overview
- Daily Mail on Friday published texts and audio it says are from Bryon Noem in which he talked about transitioning to a woman named "Crystal" and leaving his wife, with the outlet matching a phone number to him.
- Bryon told The Independent the reports are "not all true," while a spokesperson for Kristi Noem earlier said she was devastated and that the family felt blindsided.
- The New York Post reported that three former DHS aides who followed Kristi Noem to the State Department were placed on leave or removed over concerns about ties to Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski.
- The Independent reported that Bryon briefly enrolled in January in a Christian "sexual behavior" program, as multiple models have said he paid them for online chats and fetish content.
- The Advocate noted the story’s resonance because Kristi Noem has backed restrictions on transgender rights, even as newsrooms flag that much of the evidence comes from tabloid sources and is not fully verified.